That's My Daughter
by bauerfreak
Summary: Snickers AU Oneshot: Songfic to Daughter. Nick watches his daughter playing in the pool and reflects on his role as a father.


A/N: So I don't normally do songfics, but I can't pass this little treasure up!! If you haven't legally downloaded "Daughter" by Loudon Wainwright III, do it!! It's just so adorable. This is written from Nick's perspective about his young daughter.

_Everything she sees she says she wants_

_Everything she wants I see she gets_

It's been said a million times by a million fathers – little girls have you wrapped around their tiny fingers. With Katie it's no different. Sara's about wrung my neck countless times with the things I've bought her. It's just so hard to say no to those adorable blue pools staring up at you at Target. I guess it's my fault for taking her in the toy section to begin with. Maybe it's partially because she's my first and only child at the moment. If she wants a pony, Sara and I will be SOL. (that's shit outta luck for those of you not from the south or Midwest)

_That's my daughter in the water_

_Everything she owns I bought her_

_Everything she owns_

_That's my daughter in the water_

_Everything she knows I taught her_

_Everything she knows_

My Katie's only three and a half, and she already knows her alphabet, thank you. Daddy was her first word. I beam with pride every time my little girl discovers something new, whether it's the fish in the pond by our house, Blue's next clue, or getting into Mommy or Daddy's fingerprint dust (though that wasn't all that funny at the time). I can't wait to see what she thinks of school, and what kind of crazy subjects she gets into in high school and college. Though of course I'll be proud of her no matter what she does, I hope she'll follow in our footsteps and get into science. She seems to love going in to the lab and seeing what we do, but I think that's partially because she has a crush on Greg. I've already had a word with him.

_Everything I say she takes to heart_

I'll never forget the way she looked at me the first time I had to scold her. I mean, really scold her. She ran away from her mother and me in a busy shopping mall when she was two, chasing after a Dora balloon. I was so scared that I would lose her. She got quite a talking-to and went straight to the car for a time-out. The look on her face broke my heart to see her daddy so upset with her, but I don't know what I'd do if I never saw that precious face again.

_Everything she takes, she takes apart_

Let's just say I learned early on not to leave important papers, memorabilia, or anything expensive within reach of my little angel. Two year olds get into everything. Three year olds like to tear things apart just for the cool sound. Give her some bubble wrap and some cardboard boxes to play around her and she's happier than a pig in you know what.

_That's my daughter in the water_

_Every time she fell I caught her_

_Every time she fell_

In both a literal and figurative sense. I've been blessed to share the "homemaker" role with Sara. We both get the chance to stay home with Katie, and I cherish my days with her. I'm luckier than many fathers in the sense that I get to be there to bandage scraped knees, kiss her bruises better, and provide a little TLC when she's feeling a little down. As she gets older, I hope we'll be able to keep the special relationship I think we have. Of course I'm not an idiot, expecting her to tell me everything when she's a teenager and young adult. She may be more comfortable going to her mother or her friends about some things, but I hope she knows her daddy will always be there to listen.

_That's my daughter in the water_

_I lost every time I fought her_

_Yeah, I lost every time_

Of course part of a parent's job is to give her consequences when she misbehaves. But who really wins when she cries the entire time she's in time-out? Who wins when she refuses to give me a hug when she's mad at me? I'm not a pushover by any means, but I've probably scraped a few minutes off groundings to her room and other various punishments. It's hard to stick your guns with daughters. They pull at your heartstrings, and when they pout their tiny faces, you're a goner. I don't care who you are.

_Every time she blinks she strikes somebody blind_

My daughter is the most adorable thing you've ever seen. Bright blue eyes, wavy brown hair, and the same adorable gap between her teeth her mother has. The way she carries herself – a little awkward at times I'd say, but with those ballet lessons she'll be full of grace when she gets older. She likes to skip and run around like any other little girl – always full of energy and starting to get that tiny bit of sass I'll have to watch with her. Those eyes are going to get me in trouble when she hits high school.

_Everything she thinks blows her tiny mind_

I sometimes catch her staring – looking out her bedroom window, or traveling in the car. What I wouldn't give to know what she's thinking. I'll ask her sometimes, and she'll just shrug her little shoulders and smile at me. She's so young and innocent, and I wonder what it's like to be like that now as an adult. All the things I know about the world makes me want to protect and shield her even more. I don't want that tiny, perfect mind of hers being invaded by worries and scary thoughts.

_That's my daughter in the water_

_Who'd have ever thought her?_

_Who'd have ever thought?_

_That's my daughter in the water_

_I lost every time I fought her_

_Yeah, I lost every time_

Mostly, like any parent, I just want the best for my daughter. I want her to be happy and healthy, and a good human being. And as I watch her splashing and playing around in the pool with her little friends, I can't help but want to freeze this moment in time. In ten years, she'll be online with her friends, going on dates, sneaking out of the house. I know I won't always be the number one man in her life, but I intend to enjoy it while I am.


End file.
